Is Ginebra's Fourth Quarter Benching in Game Five a Strategic Approach of Tim Cone?

Photo by PBA Media Bureau

After being trailing with as much as 17 points in game 5 against the Star Hotshots, Ginebra players are hopeful that the move that coach Tim Cone did in the final quarter will pay off on their game 6 mission. Creating a huge surprise for the PBA viewers, Ginebra primary point guard LA Tenorio is confident that preserving them for the next game will definitely help them to gain enough thirst for a win in game 6 win or go home showdown.

It has been a tried and tested strategy of Tim Cone to spare his starters from a game that he knows is already slipping off their hands. This has been proven by some of the Star Hotshots' players like Marc Pingris who played under Coach Tim Cone for a while and he is a living proof that this strategy has helped them gain enough energy going to the next game especially after having only one day off every game.

Tim Cone utilized his bench role players during the 4th quarter with Sol Mercado only played 20 seconds in the final quarter while Japeth Aguilar, LA Tenorio and Jervy Cruz are on the bench watching their bench players do the job for them who also did an awesome job in cutting the lead down to 7 in the dying minutes of the payoff period from being down with as much as 17 points.

Seeing the frustration on Tim Cone's face, he had his assistant coach to call the plays for Ginebra in the fourth quarter while he let's his players figure out what to do as he sat on the bench giving a dagger look to the table officials making them realize how frustrated he was with the calls but knowing the most winningest coach in the PBA, this is just his way of sending a message to his people that they need to come out there and play their best like there is no tomorrow.

Ginebra will try to live another day and force a do or die match up against the Star Hotshots on Sunday in Araneta Coliseum.